The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has already begun reshaping the global pecking order, and Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza is the biggest winner, climbing back to the No.1 spot in the T20I all-rounder rankings after a match-winning display in Colombo.
Raza delivered a classic all-round performance in Zimbabwe’s dominant eight-wicket win over Oman at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground, returning figures of 1/17 from four tight overs before calmly striking the winning runs with the bat.
The veteran’s rise sees him leapfrog Pakistan’s Saim Ayub to reclaim the top ranking he previously held late last year, underlining his reputation as one of the most reliable multi-dimensional players in white-ball cricket.
Zimbabwe had more reasons to celebrate as Brian Bennett rocketed to a career-high rating after his unbeaten 48, jumping to 19th among T20I batters, while Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan stormed into the top three following a blistering 73 against the USA.
At the summit of the batting charts, India’s Abhishek Sharma continues to lead, with England’s Phil Salt close behind, while Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis surged six places to 12th, marking a strong rise for the island nation.
In the bowling rankings, Varun Chakravarthy narrowly holds onto No.1 ahead of Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed, with Sri Lanka star Wanindu Hasaranga edging up to fifth, and fast-rising names like Arshdeep Singh and Brad Evans making significant jumps just outside the top ten.
With the World Cup heating up and performances carrying extra weight, expect the rankings to keep shifting rapidly, because in this tournament, one explosive spell or a quickfire knock can change everything overnight.
